Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Pet safety on Halloween

A couple weeks ago I posted about safety for both kids and parents. Today I will be talking about safety for pets. Yes, that's right...pets. We adore our pets and they are an important part of the family. I call them fur-babies (in general) and I and like many others would not want to see them harmed in any way. Here are several safety tips to avoid accidents and ensure your pet's safety this Halloween:

* Keep all candy well sealed and out of reach of all pets. Make sure all wrappers are discarded and your pet is not able to dig them out of the trash. This can cause intestinal blockage. This could also result in vomiting and ingestion of chocolate can especially be toxic. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination and heart rate—and even seizures.

* Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur.

* Place festive decorations out of reach of pets. Stay away from small or low-hanging items, or even large items with parts that could appeal to pets. Ingestion could cause choking or result in the need for surgery.

* Designate a secure spot for your pet inside your home, since traffic to and from your house may increase dramatically on Halloween night. This helps to reduce anxiety that it may cause your pet and cause it to run away.

* If you dress your pet for Halloween, make sure the pet enjoys such things. Make sure the outfit is roomy, reflective and fire retardant. An item of clothing that is too tight could cut off circulation and/or choke your pet. Make sure the costume isn’t annoying or unsafe, and doesn’t restrict her movement, vision, hearing or ability to breathe or bark. Avoid costumes with small or dangling accessories that she could chew off and possibly choke on. Make sure an adult supervises pets in costume at all times.

* It’s not a bright idea to keep lit pumpkins around companion animals. Pets can knock them over, and curious kittens especially run the risk of being burned.

* Don’t leave your pet in the yard on Halloween. There have been reports of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen and even killed pets on this night.

* It is especially important to keep your feline inside for several days before and after Halloween. Black cats in particular may be at risk from children’s pranks or other cruelty-related incidents. As a safety precaution, many shelters will not adopt out black cats around Halloween.

* IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.

1 comment:

Thanks for the pet safety tips. All good advice. I agree, my cat (the one that is allowed outside) gets locked in the house for a few days - and during our party we sequester our cats to the basement for the evening.